Foldable chair



@et 4, 1938. w. H. MCKINLEY ET AL FOLDABLE CHAIR Filed May 8, 1937 3 SheetS-Sheet 1 Il I lub Mtfohnsony TV'z/ZZamH.

Eric

Oct. 4, 1938. w. H. MCKINLEY ET Al.

FOLDABLE CHAIR Filed May 8, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Kink Ct. 4, W. H. MCKINLEY ET AL 2,332,309

FOLDABLE CHAIR Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES FOLDABLE CHAIR- William Howard McKinley and Eric Magnus Johnson, Youngstown, Ohio, assgnors to The General Fireproofing Company, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 8, 1937, Serial No. 141,489

9 Claims.

This invention relates to foldable chairs, and has generally in view to provide a foldable chair of simple, inexpensive construction which, in its erected condition, is strong and sturdy; which, in its folded condition is compact, and which may readily and easily be erected and folded.

The present chair comprises a rear frame, a pair of side frames, a preferably but not necessarily cushioned seat and a preferably but not necessarily ycushioned back, and in this connection other objects Vof the invention are: to provide connections between the rear frame and the side frames whereby the latter may be folded against the front and the back of the rear frame, respec-l to provide novel means whereby the seat effectively to hold the side frames to each other and tively; frame serves properly positioned relative relative to the rear frame when the chair is erected, and to provide a novel assembly between the back and the rear frame and the seat where-A by the back is effectively supported and retained in its operative position when the chair is erected.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

. In the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the. different views:

Figure l is a side elevation illustrating one practicable embodiment of the present foldable chair in erected condition.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation.

Figure 4 is a plan View illustrating a folded condition of the side frames relative to the rear frame.

Figure 5 is a front view illustrating a folded condition of the side frames relative to the'rear frame.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. l.

Figure '7 is a sectional view on the lineI-l of Fig. 2 illustrating the connections of oneof the side frames with the rear frame and the mounting of the seat and the back on a cross rail of the rear frame.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view illustrating oneof the back carried pins. I

Figure 9 is an elevation illustrating one of the back carried pins; and

Figure 10 is a detail View illustrating the reinforcement of the seat frame at the points where the seat is fastened thereto.

Referring in detail to the practical embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, it will be observed that the present chair is compose-d of only five main parts; viz, a rear frame A, a pair of side frames B, B, a seat C and a back D.

The seat C includes a frame I!) and preferably, but not necessarily, a cushion II. Likewise, the back D includes a frame I2 and preferably, but, not necessarily, a cushion I3. If the cushions Il and I3 are provided they may be of any suitable construction. Likewise, the frames A, B, B, I0

and I2 may be of any suitable construction.

Preferably, however, said frames are formed from some suitable light-Weight metallic material such, for example, as aluminum tubing, whereby the chair as anV entirety is strong and durable and yet is light in weight so that it may be handled with little effort.

The rear frame A includes a pair of standards I4, I4 and any desired plurality of cross rails I5 rigidly connecting said standards together in spaced apart relationship. At their tops and bottomsthe standards I4, I4 are equipped with T- shaped and inverted T-shaped brackets IS and Il, respectively, and preferably, but not necessarily, said standards are formed so that their upper portions are upwardly and rearwardly inclined and their lower portions are downwardlyV and rearwardly inclined or curved. In any event, the forwardly and rearwardly extending portions of the brackets I6 and I'I are vertically alined, respectively.

The side frames B, B are of substantially C shape and each includes a vertical, or substantially Vertical, front leg or standard I8, a horizontally disposed rail or base I9 extending rearwardly from the bottom of said front leg or standard, and a horizontal, or substantially horizontal, top rail 20 extending rearwardly from the top of said front leg or standard.

At the rear ends of the side frame rails I9 and 2i) are brackets 2| and 22, respectively, which overlie an-d underlie the brackets I6 and I1, re-A frame C have vertically alined pivotalrconnections with the rearwardly extending portions of the brackets I6 of the related standard I4. In other words, the. pivotal connections between the side frames and the rear frame are spaced apart forwardly and rearwardly with respect to each other and with respect to the general plane of the rear frame. Therefore, one of the side frames is swingabie or foldable to a position across the front of the rear frame and the other side frame is swingable or foldable to a back of the rear frame.

The front legs or standards I8 of the side frame C have welded or otherwise suitably fixed tothe inner sides thereof seat supporting plates or brackets 2li, 24, respectively, which are disposed to support the front of the seat at the desired height and which are provided with slots 25, 25, respectively, opening through the tops thereof. Similar plates or brackets 26'are welded or otherwise suitably fastened to front portions of the side rails I El of the seat frame and carry horizontally disposed, outwardly extending studs 21 to enter the slots 25 and to rest upon the brackets 24 at the bottoms of said slots when the chair is erected. lIn this connection it will be noted that when the chair is erected the seat frame I0 Aextends between the legs or standards I3, I8 of the `side frames C and serves as a spacing means limiting inward swinging movement of said side frames 'relative to each other. Also, it will be noted that the studs 21 areprovided with flanges or heads 28 Vwhich engage'rthe outer faces of the plates or brackets 24 when said studs are disposed in the slots in said plates or brackets, whereby the side frames are held against outward swinging movement relative to each other. If the plates or brackets 25 are formed from aluminum, they may be, and preferably are, backed and reinforced by steel plates 29 suitably fastened thereto and to the side rails of the seat frame Obviously, the described connections between the seat frame Iil and the legs or standards I3 of the side frames C permit quick and easy attachment and detachment of the seat frame with and from the side frames simply by downward and upward movements of the seat frame, respectively. Obviously, too, said connections serve to hold the seat frame against forward or rearward shifting movement relative to the side frames.

One of the cross rails, designated as I5a, of the rear frame A is designed to serve as a support for the rear of the seat C and also as a support for the bottom of the back D. To this end, said cross rail kI5EL is disposed at the desired height of the rear of the seat C and is of open-top, closedbottom and closed-rearconstruction. The seat C is provided at its rear and upon its bottom with an angle member 30 having a downwardly directed ange 3| to rest upon the bottom of the cross'rail I5a, and the back D is formed at its bottom to enter said rail I5a between the rear wall thereof and said flange 3| and also to rest at its bottom on the bottom of said rail |521. In this way the rear of the seat and ,the bottom of the back are snugly related to each other and to the rail I5a when the chair is erected. l

In the brackets 22 at the rear ends of the top rails of the side frames B, B are recesses 32 which epen through the tops and the inner sides of said brackets and which accommodate pins 33 projecting from the sides of the back frame'IZ, when the back D is in its'operative position. Thereby, the upper portion of the back D is held against forward or rearward swinging movement. Moreposition across the over, the pins 33 rest upon the brackets 22 at the bottoms of the recesses 32 therein and thereby assist the rail I 5a in supporting the back D.

The side frames B, B preferably are of a height such that the top railsY 20 thereof serve as arm rests for the chair. Accordingly, the said rails 20 may beipadded if desired, as indicated at 34.

'Ihe lower portions of the standards I 4, I4 of the rear frame A serve as the rear legs of the chair and the lower portions of the standards I8 ofthe side frames B, B serve as the front legs of the chair, and when the chair is erected with its parts held as described it obviously is sturdy and rigid. To disassemble and fold the parts, the back D first is removed simply by lifting the same. 'Ihe seat C then is removed also simply by lifting the same. I'he side frames B, B then are free to be swung to their folded positions across the front and the back, respectively, of the rear frame A. On the other hand, to erect the chair, the disassembly procedure simply is reversed.

While the seat CV and the back D may be of any suitable construction, they each preferably embody a construction comprising, in addition to their respective frames, a plyboard base having a resilient cushion mounted thereon. Their frames preferably are secured to their plyboard bases by screws 35, and where said screws extend through the frames the latter preferably have ller blocks 33 to hold them against collapse. Moreover, to securely fasten the pins 33 to' the back D, the plywood base 3l' of the latter preferably has bolted or otherwise suitably fastened thereto metalpla'tes 38 into which studs on the inner ends of the pins 33 are screwed.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:-

1. In a foldable chair, a rear frame including a pair of connected standards, a pair of side frames, each including a standard and a top and a bottom rail extending rearwardly therefrom, and means pivotally connecting said side frames respectively to the front `and rear portions of said rear Vframe for folding movement across the front and back of said rear frame, respectively.

2. In a chair, a rear'fra'me including a pair of standards, a substantially Tshaped bracket carried by each standard at the top thereof, a substantially inverted T-shaped bracket carried by each standard at the bottom thereof, the heads of said brackets extending forwardly and rearwardly relative `to said rear frame, a pair of side gframes each including connected top and bottom jrails, verticalpivotal connections between the top and the bottom rails of one of said side frames and the forwardly extending portions of the top and the bottom brackets of one of said standards, respectively, and vertical pivotal connections between the top and the bottom rails of the other side frame and the rearwardly extending portions of the top and the bottom brackets of the lother standard, respectively, whereby the side frames are respectively foldable across the front and the rear of the rear frame.

3. A foldable chair comprising aV rear frame,

f side frames, means pivotally connecting said side frames respectively to the front and rear portionsy of said rear frame for folding movement across the front and the back of said rear frame, respectively, a detachable seat, means for detachably supporting said seat at its rear upon said rear frame, and cooperating elements respectively on the seat and side frames for detachably supporting said seat at its front upon said side frames and for holding said side fram-es against outward swinging movement when the chair is in set-up condition with the side frames extending forwardly from the rear frame and with the seat disposed between the side frames and supported by the latter and the rear frame.

4. A foldable chair comprising a rear frame, side frames, means pivotally connecting said side frames respectively to the front and rear portions of said rear frame for folding movement across the front and the back of said rear frame, respectively, a detachable seat, means for detachably supporting said seat at its rear upon said rear frame, cooperating elements respectively on the seat and side frames for detachably supporting said seat at its front upon said side frames vand for holding said side frames against outward swinging movement when the chair is in set-up condition with the side frames extending forwardly from the rear frame and with the seat disposed between the side frames and supported by the latter and the rear frame, a detachable back, means for supporting said back upon said rear frame against downward and rearward movement relative thereto, and other means for holding said back against forward tilting movement relative to said rear frame.

5. A foldable chair comprising a rear frame including top and intermediate cross rails, unitary side frames each including an upper arm-rest rail and a lower floor rail and a front standard connecting the same, the upper and lower rails of one side frame having pivotal connections at their rear ends with the rear frame at the front of the latter and the upper and lower rails of the other side frame having pivotal connections with said rear frame at the rear of the latter, whereby said side frames are adapted to be folded inwardly in front of and in back of said rear frame, respectively, supporting members carried by the front standards of said side frames, a chair seat having means detachably engaged with said supporting members and with the intermediate cross rail of the rear frame, and a detachable chair back arranged in front of the rear frame and having its lower portion detachably engaging said cross rail.

6. A foldabl-e chair comprising a rear frame including vertically spaced cross rails, the lower of said rails being of open-top channel form, side frames, means pivotally connecting said side frames respectively to the front and rear portions of said rear frame for folding movement across the front and the back of said rear frame, respectively, seat supporting brackets carried by the side frames, a detachable seat positioned between the side frames, means at the side of said seat engaging means in said brackets to support the seat upon said side frames and holding the side frames against outward swinging movement, and means at the rear of said seat engaging in the channel of said lower cross rail to support the rear portion of the seat upon said rear frame.

7. A foldable chair comprising a rear frame including vertically spaced cross rails, the lower of said rails being of open-top channel form, side frames, means pivotally connecting said side frames to the front and rear portions of said rear frame for folding movement across the front and the back of said rear frame, respectively, seat supporting brackets carried by the side frames, a detachable seat positioned between the side frames, means at the sides of said seat engaging means in said brackets to support the seat upon said side frames and to hold the sid-e frames against outward swinging movement, means at the rear of said seat to engage in the channel of said lower cross rail to support the rear portion of the seat upon said r-ear frame, and a detachable back positioned against the front face of the upper of said cross rails, said back having a bottom portion projecting downwardly across the rear face of the seat and resting in the channel of said lower cross rail.

8. A foldable chair comprising a rear frame including vertically spaced cross rails, the lower of said rails being of open-top channel form, side frames, means pivotally connecting said side frames respectively to the front and rear portions of said rear frame for folding movement across the front and the back of said rear frame, respectively, seat supporting brackets carried by the side frames, a detachable seat positioned between the side frames, means at the sides of said seat engaging means in said brackets to support the seat upon said side frames and holding the side frames against outward swinging movement, means at the rear of said seat engaging in the channel of said lower cross rail to support the rear portion of the seat upon said rear frame, a detachable back positioned against the front face of the upper of said cross rails, said back having a bottom portion ext-ending downwardly across the rear face of the seat and resting in the channel of said lower cross rail, and cooperating means on the back and the side frames to hold the back against forward movement.

9. A collapsible chair including a rear frame having spaced cross bars one of which is provided with seat frame keeper means, side frames pivotally connected with forward and rear portions of the rear frame respectively for collapsing movement toward the front and rear sides of the rear frame, seat supporting brackets carried by the side frames, a detachable seat unit including a cushion mounted on a frame positioned between the side frames, said seat frame having means at the sides thereof interlocking with means in said brackets, means at the rear of the seat frame interlocking with the keeper means of one of said cross bars of the rear frame, a detachable back unit including an upholstered portion carried by a frame resting against the cross bars of the rear frame and having a portion projecting below the upholstered portion positioned behind the seat cushion and engaging in said keeper means of one of said cross bars of the rear frame, and cooperating means respectively on the frame of the back unit and the side frames to lock the back unit against forward movement away from the rear frame.

WILLIAM HOWARD MCIUNLEY. ERIC MAGNUS JOHNSON. 

